The Unrest Cure @ Pentameters Theatre, Hampstead

Pentameters Theatre in the heart of genteel Hampstead is a bijou fringe-theatre space above The Horseshoe pub. Its repertoire is quirky and somewhat literary, which makes it an appropriate setting for The Unrest Cure, an homage to the work of PG Wodehouse.

Set in 1932, the ‘unrest cure’ of the title turns out to be an elaborate practical joke dreamt up by siblings Virginia and Charlie following a chance encounter in a railway compartment.  After overhearing fretful hotelier Ernest Huddlestone bemoan his increasingly middle-aged lifestyle, they design a ruse – involving a fictional visit from the Prince of Wales – to shake this anxious stranger from his mundane routine.

The script, written by Simon Godziek and Rob Groves, is an old-fashioned romp with a liberal sprinkling of ‘old beans’, ‘nincompoops’ and jolly good ‘bricks’.  As you would expect, there is lots of clever wordplay, but too often the jokes teeter into panto territory, eliciting groans rather than belly laughs. Instead, the play is at its most interesting when the humour touches on the surreal – a throw-away line about a cattery-owner named Shrödinger springs to mind.

The acting is a frustrating mixed bag. Math Sams as tightly-wound Ernest cringes and capers around the stage with gusto. Pretty Lucy Middleditch has great presence as spirited Virginia. But this energy and nuance is not always matched by the rest of the cast.

 

Other problems? The stage is too cluttered. In such a small space a pared-back set would have felt fresher and given the actors more room to play with. And with the audience so close, every sloppy design detail is visible (luggage labels written on in anachronistic marker pen), which just feels amateurish. Likewise, the scene changes could have been slicker and handled with more imagination.

The script is stuffed with references to Wodehouse’s writing, making it a ‘literary treasure hunt’ for enthusiasts. However, while the plot trips along nicely, and there are funny moments, overall, I’m not sure the production is consistent or inventive enough to keep those who aren’t Wodehouse fanatics satisfied.

A version of this review was originally published at playstosee.com